Plant pack



Feb; 11944- c:.-E. caARl-.ilulanr l 2,340,373

PLANT PACK Filed Aug. 25. 1941 Patented Feb. 1, 1944 `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLANT PACK Clark E. Gardner, Osage, Iowa Application August 25, 1941, Serial No. 408,231 v claims. v(o1. iv-37) My present invention relates to a plant pack wherein a wrapper is provided for a plant package and is secured to the package.

One object of the invention is to provide a Wrapper which may be inexpensively formed of cardboard or the like in substantially rectangular shape and rolled in a truncated, cone-shaped cylinder adapted to receive a plant package in such manner as to compress the roots of the plant, yet leave the top of the plant or plants open to avoid heating and rotting when the pack is being shipped through the mail, used in display on the dealers counters, or stored between the time it leaves the nursery and is sold to the customer.

A further object is to provide a wrapper which can be formed of a flat blank so as not to require prohibitive space at the nursery before use, but which may be quickly associated with a plant package and assembled by a simple hand stapling machine, and at the same time, position the plant package within the wrapper so that it does not thereafter move longitudinally of the wrapper.

Still a further object is to provide a wrapper which, while leaving the tops of the plant loose for ready ventilation, permits the use of a display device, such as a photograph or the like, secured inside the wrapper adjacent the top thereof so that it can be seen back of the top of the plant,

the device thereby being useful as a display pack as well as a shipping and storing pack.

Still another object is to provide a modified form of construction wherein the plant package is adjustable in the wrapper so that it may assume one position for shipping and other position for display.

With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a plant pack embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof on the line 2--2 of ,Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are front elevational views of the type of plant pack shown in Figure 1 showing diiferent proportions of the parts to illustrate the adaptability of my invention.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of a modified construction.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view thereof; and

Figure 'l is a layout view of one of the blanks used for the wrapper.

On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference character ID to indicate a plant or, more specically, the top of the plant, and [2 a wrapping for the roots of the plant. The wrapping I2, together with the plant I0, may be termed a plant package.

When a single plant, tree, bush or shrub is packed for over counter store trade the inside package is designed to take the place and perform the functions of an ordinary flower pot. Instead of the use of damp moss, peat or other packing materials, that-are used primarily 4to keep the roots moist, a regular potting or growing compound of humus and sawdust is used sothat the plant, tree, bush or shrub so packed can start active growth in the plant pack, and by removing the outside wrapping the ball of `potting com.- pound in which roots are growing may be set intact into the ground without disturbing the plants growth. Packed in this way the selling season is prolonged as the plant, tree, bush or shrub packed in this manner can be sold in dormant condition and also as a live growing plant after new growth has started.

Outside of the wax paper a layer of ordinary kraft paper may be used, and may be of very cheap variety in view of the use of my plant pack, consisting of a wrapper, indicated generally at I3.

The wrapper i3 is formed of cardboard or the like and in the form of a blank'of the approximate shape shown in Figure 7. The blank is substantially rectangular in shape, with the two upper .corners cut away at an incline, and the inclined edges being indicatedat I4. The blank I3, as shown in Figure 7, may or may not have slits I5 therein, which slits are for a purpose that will hereinafter appear in connection with my description of Figure 5.

The wrapper I3 is rolled into cylindrical form around the plant package lil-I2, with the lower end rolled into a smaller circumference than the upper end. Staples I6 and I1 are then inserted by the use of an ordinary hand stapling machine to hold the wrapper in its cylindrical form. The lower end is formed into a smaller circumference so that the roots of the plant I0 are tightly heldy with relation to the wrapper to conserve their moisture. The larger circumference adjacent the center of the wrapper, however, permits the plant package adjacent the base of the plant to be relatively loose. to aiord `the required ventilation to prevent heating and rotting. The cylindrical wrapper, due to the difference in circumferences just mentioned, has a truncated cone shape.

The staple Il, it will be noted, passes through a lower corner of the plant package lli-I2.. This is readily accomplished by Pushing one Jaw 0f the stapling machine up into the plant Wrapper past the lower corner and, if desired, a second staple I8 may be similarly inserted at the back of the wrapper. The plant package is thereby held at the center of such shipping container, Whichg'f leaves the top ends of the plants loosely arrangedH I 'have in the end portions of the container. found this a very convenient Way of packing plants in a shipping container and insuring thatV the plants Will not be displaced during rough handling of the container, and yet the desired ventilation for the tops and the desired compression of lthe lroots is eliciently obtained. The

cut-'away portions of the wrapper I3, which are indicated at I4, permit greater looseness for the tops Yof the plants, and also permit a relatively unobstructed view for a display or advertising device I9, such as a photograph or Apainting glued tothe upper part of the wrapper. Such advertising device is useful in connection with the use Yotmy plant pack as a display means on the dealers counter or shelf. l

The display feature can be enhanced by providing adjustable yplant package arrangements such as shown in Figure 6. The plant package in.v this case has an adjusting strip ZIJ of cardboard or the like secured thereto as by a band vof adhesive paper tape 2|. The strip 2D extends through the slits I and is bent over at 209' to retain the plant at the desired height for shipping purposes.

When the dealer receives the plant pack he may-pull downwardly on the strip 213, thus adjusting the .plant to a lowered` position such as shown bydotted lines in Figure 6, whereupon the end a may be cut cil or may be bent and inserted at the front of the package, as shown. This pulls the plant I Il downwardly so that its upper part does not obstruct the purchasers vision with relation to the advertising device I9.

may beobtained for my plant pack. VIn Figure 3 thewrapper I-'ia is similar to the Wrapper I3, except that the inclined edges I 4B are somewhat shortened so that a plant or plants in a pack merely for shippingr purposes and not for display purposes is provided. In Figure 4 a relatively long blank |31? has been provided with relatively long cut-away edges at |411, this package being suitable for rosebushes and the like.

Obviously, several different sizes of the wrapper blanks may be made Vto accommodate different sizes of plants.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is rnv intention to cover by my claims any modied forms of structure, or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

A I claim as my invention.

1. In a plant pack, a wrapper of cardboard or the like adapted to surround a plant package, said wrapper being tight around the roots in the plant package and loose around the top of age to retain the plant package in position relative to the wrapper.

2. In a plant pack or the like, a wrapper adapted to surround a closed plant package and the top` of a plant projecting thereabove, Said wrapper being tight around the roots in the plant package and loose around the top of the plant, and means through a lower corner of said plant package and through said wrapper for rentaining the wrapper around the plant package 4andtheV plant package in position relative to he wrafppei.-

3. In a plant pack or the like, a wrapper adapted to surround a plant package, said wrap- 5 per being tight around the roots in the plant As shown in Figures 3 and 4, various proportions 145 package and loose around the top of the plant, and Va staple through said plant package and through said wrapper Vto retain the package in vertically pitched position relative to the wrapper.

4. A plant pack comprisingy a wrapper of cardboard or the like adapted to surround a plant package, said Wrapper being rectangular in shape with its upper corners cut away atv an incline whereby when the wrapper is rolled into a cylinder the cut-away portions at said upper corners permit a View of the inside of the upper part of the wrapper and a display device thereon, said wrapper being formed in the shape of a truncated cone with its smaller part at the bottom to tightly bind the Vroots in the plant package and leavethe plant top loose, staples for holding said wrapper in Vcylindrical form around the plant package, one of said staples extending through a lower corner of said plant package and through said Wrapper to retain the plant package in position relativeto the wrapper.

5. A plant pack'comprising a wrapper adapted to surround a plant package, said wrapper being rectangular in shape with its upper corners cut away at an incline, a display device in the upper part of the wrapper, said wrapper being formed in the shape of a truncated cone with its smaller part at the bottom, staples for holding said wrapper in form around the plant package, one of said staples extending through a l'ower corner of the plant package to retain the plant package in position relative to said wrapper.

6. A plant package comprising a cardboard blank o1" rectangular shape having its upper corners cut away, said blank being adapted to be rolled into a truncated cone-shaped cylinder and stapled in such position, said truncated coneshaped cylinder being adapted to receive a plant package with the roots in the package at the small end of the cone for compressing the roots and leaving the top of the plant relatively loose, one of the staples extending through a lower corner of the plant package to retain the package in position relative to the wrapper.

7. A plant package comprising a blank of substantially rectangular shape adapted to be rolled intora truncated cone-shaped cylinder, said cylinder being adapted to receive a closed plant package with the roots in the package at the small end of the cone, and means through a corner of said plant package and through said wrapper to retain the plant package in posithen plant, and staples for holding said wrapper tion relative t0 the Wrapper.

around vthe plant package, one of said staples extending through a lower corner of the pack- CLARK E. GARDNER'. 

